Tevez eventually found his form, scoring 23 league goals as City finished fifth and earned a Europa League spot. Were it not for a 1-0 defeat to Tottenham in the penultimate game of the season, City might have claimed a Champions League place. In his best spell of the season, Tevez netted 24 times in 22 games in all competitions. He went off to the World Cup in South Africa in rude form but Argentina crashed out 4-0 to Germany in the last 16

The 2010-11 season was similarly fruitful. A further 24 goals in all competitions – the majority of them scored in the first two thirds of the season – hoisted City to a third-place finish in the league and earned Tevez a share of the golden boot

City faced Stoke in the league three days later in their final home game of the season. Few would have realised that when Tevez waved to the crowd on a lap of honour he was effectively waving goodbye. The Argentinian spent the summer agitating for a transfer, citing Manchester's lack of culture and his desire to be closer to his family as reasons for leaving. But a deal with Corinthians fell through and Tevez was forced to return to City for the 2011-12 campaign

His first-team opportunities were limited following the arrival of Edin Dzeko and Sergio Agüero ... and when the City manager Roberto Mancini tried to bring him on from the bench in the second half of City's Champions League match with Bayern Munich on Tuesday night, Tevez's refused to play

Tevez has since claimed it was a 'misunderstanding' and said 'this is not the right time to get into specific details as to why this did not happen, but I wish to state that I never refused to play. Going forward I am ready to play when required and to fulfil my obligations.' But Mancini has vowed he will never again play for the club. All in all, it must have made for an awkward journey home

Tevez was escorted away from Manchester airport on Wednesday morning and at one point gave a cheeky thumbs-up sign. One suspects he won't be laughing when City inevitably suspend some of his reputed £250,000 weekly salary